


7 Things to Keep in Mind when Caring for Your Hylian Champion

by ximeria



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Caring, Fluff, M/M, Post-Calamity Ganon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-06 01:39:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18841009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ximeria/pseuds/ximeria
Summary: Sidon can't not care. He can't not worry. And if he had hair, it would be grey and most of that would be Link's fault. Link is not someone who likes to be fussed over, but Sidon has learned how to do it in his own way, and he's learned all Link's odd quirks and habits.





	7 Things to Keep in Mind when Caring for Your Hylian Champion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [meinposhbastard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meinposhbastard/gifts).



> This was a little odd idea that popped into my head while playing, and since Dee, the evil enabler, turns another year today, how could I not write her some Sidlink? She does, after all, shout encouragements from the sidelines sometimes when I'm playing XD
> 
> So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

1.  
_Shower him with gifts_

Sidon learns this very early on. It doesn't really matter what he gives Link. An old treasure chest will be inspected or plain kicked open, depending on mood. The content is always valued either for rupies or usage.

Some may perceive this as a little rude, but Sidon has long since become used to it. If anything, he knows some of the hardship that Link went through during his quest to slay Calamity Ganon. Survival often rested on having enough to spend on weapons, armour and food.

Speaking of weapons and armour. Those are two other things that Sidon knows will always be welcome gifts. By now, he goes out of his way to bring back rare armour for Link when he's meeting foreign dignitaries or even bartering off some from travellers who come through the Domain.

The light in Link's eyes when Sidon can give him the cultural background of a piece of armour or weapon is well worth the rupies and the hard work to get them. Sidon feels that for Link, it's equal to a Zora gifting a loved one jewelry. Not that he hasn't given Link jewelry and had Link thank him profusely, but he now knows that such jewelry should have a function for Link to truly appreciate it. Like the ruby circlet that keeps the wearer warm in the cold.

That one had netted him a most enthusiastic kiss and had brought Sidon to the realization that he could not apply Zora courtship to a Hylian Champion.

Sidon has it down to an art, though. How to court Link the best way. The treasures and weapons have gotten him far, but there is one thing that he has learned will get him all the love and affection; food.

Link will eat most things if he has to, but he loves to experiment with food and cooking. It doesn't always go well, but he displays an almost childlike glee when it comes to sampling new foods.

Sidon often has to hold himself back from constantly feeding Link. Even now, where he doesn't have to run all over Hyrule, but still travels a lot, he burns a lot of calories and needs food more often than most. And the energy is needed, because he's always up for swimming with Sidon, having taken to swimming up the waterfalls like a natural Zora. And Sidon will be lying if he claims that the Zora armour isn't pleasing to look at when encasing Link.

He will, however, never share with anyone how fantastic it looks discarded on the ground when they get to the hot springs.

2.  
_Don't ask about the scars._

Sidon is a natural carer. His father says this to him, time and time again. It is something that Sidon has in common with his late sister Mipha. And it is a trait that the king sees as an advantage in a ruler.

However, until he takes over the throne and has to focus on the bigger picture, he cares for the little things, the little details, the little worries.

It was hard in the beginning to not notice and want to comment on the scars.

Link has many. There are the shallow ones, the pale ones on his neck and at his left temple. The ones that take a little more scrutiny to see. The ones that nearly made Sidon cry were the worst. The one that runs like a jagged cut along one rib, where a weapon obviously hit bone rather than soft tissue.

There's another one, down the back of one thigh.

He knows it aches sometimes if it's cold and wet. It's another reason to end their outings in the hot springs.

He knows that Link is aware of his near obsession with the scars. He wants to see them as the marks of a warrior who is still alive to tell the tale.

What he sees, but never mentions to Link, is that each scar, deep or shallow, white or still red, are the markings that nearly took this strong man from him.

Link doesn't care about his scars. They are there, they are occasionally inconvenient when they ache. But they are also very sensitive to the touch of a Zora tongue.

 

3.  
_Don't get attached to crockery._

They try various things to keep Link for smashing all the crockery in the Domain. Back when Link was there the first time, more than a century ago, they'd never quite understood why he had to be so destructive, when he was otherwise, such a lovely boy.

Sidon does understand. As he has learned to understand Link's attachment to weapons and anything that can be sold or used to barter. It all stems from having to survive and vases and urns are excellent hiding places for values or food.

It's not that Link has to worry about these things anymore, but some things are hard to unlearn. Once, he even let Sidon know that he feels a little embarrassed because he sometimes gets lost inside his head and habits take over - including scavenging in odd places like vases and urns. He's described it as an urge to look, to not miss out on any treasure or item that might ease his life, further his quest.

Sidon has told everyone to simply hide the important crockery. Anything else can be replaced, and he's made sure that any item destroyed by Link, is taken care of and the owner gets a new one.

It's just one of Link's many quirks and Sidon most assuredly doesn't hide things in the vases around the throne room, just because he loves seeing Link's look of mixed feelings when a blue rupie falls out. There's embarrassment, yes, but there's also the triumph that looks fantastic on Link's expressive face.

4.  
_Try not to get a heart attack when he climbs something._

Sidon keeps telling himself this. In the beginning, when he'd witnessed Link climb the most challenging mountain sides and then throw himself out into the air and use that flimsy paraglider of his, he'd nearly died. The man has no regard for his own life! Or for Sidon's feelings, obviously. Now, knowing what he does, knowing Link as well as he does, he puts a lid on it.

He still feels a rush of terror when he witnesses Link dive into the waters below the Domain. It's not that this isn't taught to Zora pups, but Link does not have the natural affinity for water that the Zora do. Saidon has never told Gruve that he wishes he'd never taught Link how to do the dive straight into the water.

He won't tell anyone that he fears Link might one day test it up at Shatterpoint. He's not sure his nerves can handle it.

He will not forbid it. While he'll do anything to protect Link, he will not drive Link away by being too overprotective.

Even if he _will_ worry, in silence.

5.  
_Gain the trust (and aid) of the Princess._

In the beginning, after the defeat of Ganon, Sidon had held back on his wishes to court Link. Back then Link had been busy helping Princess Zelda rebuild Hyrule and such an endeavour was far more important than a simple Prince's wishes and desires.

Zelda, however, is not blind. Nor does she have designs on her Champion. She loves him dearly, of course she does. Sidon only knows fragments of what she went through during the century she was locked in battle with Ganon. Quite frankly, no one can understand what she went through, he knows this, but he also knows that Link is probably the only one alive who comes close to doing so. And they know each other from before - both fish out of water because times have changed and the land has suffered.

No, the Princess is not blind. She has confided in Sidon that while she appreciates having Link around, she also knows that he is prone to acts of headless bravery, as she calls it. He will help anyone who asks, regardless of their agenda. Regardless of how much it puts him in danger.

She sees Sidon as someone who might be able to help protect their Champion, who has his best interests in mind - and heart. Whose presence in Link's life might be enough incentive to perhaps consider and reconsider some dangers.

Having Zelda firmly in his corner with the same goal; to prevent their stupid Hylian Champion from bringing harm to himself, makes things a little easier. She'll make sure that Link has reason to frequently visit the Domain, as an envoy, as the, aptly named link, between their lands. And once Link sets foot in the Domain, he has Sidon's undivided attention.

 

7.  
_Home is where the heart is/Lay your ghosts to rest._

As he watches Link make his way up the waterfalls from underneath the Domain, Sidon can't help but smile. The armor shines in its steel and red hues. He hadn't been entirely sure what to do or say when Link had handed the original armour back to the King. He knows that Link had been torn between keeping it, because it was a brilliant piece of armour, and the memory of Mipha, whose love he'd never had the chance to reciprocate.

That same day, Sidon had asked his father to deviate from customs. To allow Sidon to have an armour crafted for Link. It was the Zora princess who made it herself for her intended. This way, it would allow Link to lay the memory to rest and have an armour that would come with less obligations.

Sidon smiles as Link shoots up above the waterfall, the sun sparkling like a thousand stars as the sun hits every droplet that falters in his wake. The old paraglider opens and he waits patiently as Link drifts downward.

He knows that Link knows about the custom and when he'd presented Link with the new armour, he knows that Link was a little sad that Sidon hadn't crafted it himself. Sidon almost wishes he _had_ crafted it. But it would have been too much of a breach of tradition.

Of course, while the new armour had been done up in crimson and steel, the old greaves that Link had found were not. Nor the helmet. Sidon smiles to himself as he can tell Link has had them re-coloured to match the main armour.

He looks magnificent. Like a true Champion.

It hardly spoils his image when he disengages the paraglider at that very moment, dropping the last few feet into Sidon's open arms. Sidon laughs as Link buries his nose against his neck and draws in a deep breath.

Sidon mirrors this and Link smells of water and the wilderness, of the miles no longer dividing them.

Sidon holds onto him for a little longer, before other Zora join them. The pups especially will want to see Link and Sidon will have to be the bigger Zora and wait until he can have him alone to truly reacquaint himself.


End file.
